Day 2 - Siem Reap to Phnom Penh

Eating spiders, it's just not cricket!

Team Itinerary Overview

Siem Reap to Phnom Penh

Cycle temples Treah Ko and Bakong

Cycling distance: Approx 30km

Terrain: Off road/flat
Team Spirit: Awesome
Overnight: Phnom Penh

Remember your first taste of Spider? Probably at Gran’s – a dollup of ice cream plunged into a glass of your favourite soft drink. The fizzy sensation was always as good as the taste.

That experience is a little different in Cambodia.

Most of the Windermere Adventure Challenge team had their first ‘real’ taste of spider in a roadside stop on a bus trip between the two major cities of Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

It was not quite as pleasant as Gran’s, but equally as memorable.

Stepping off the bus, a young child threw a huge tarantula on ramdom bodies and then asked for $1 for the privilege. "You now Spiderman" he would say.

These large furry creatures, almost the size of your hand, run around in a tub and are scooped up into the deep fryer for our dining pleasure.

Simon Crowe was one of the first to try this delicacy and reassured everyone by comparing it to a soft shell crab. Brian Paynter thought it tasted more like chicken – but doesn’t everything?

Bouyed by Simon’s assessment, most stepped up to the plate - $1 for three. Some tried just a leg, others the whole thing. Cath Sharp didn’t think they were too bad, consuming three or four.

The scene was all too much for Gaylene Howe, who scurried back on the bus in fear. She is terrified of spiders.

Meleea Wood has had her moments with the creatures as well. She recalled a nightmare where spiders were descending from the ceiling. In an effort to stave them off in her sleep, she knocked the basinette and sent poor infant Levi on to the floor.

She ate half a spider – redemption!

Earlier the challengers had indulged in the other insect delicacy – crickets. Over here they are eaten like potato chips.

A bag was passed around the bus and most indulged. Ross Cheesewright must have been watching a bit of Masterchef. He picked up on the chili and lemongrass flavour. 

Day three of the journey began with a medal ceremony, where Samantha Smith was crowned the previous day’s hero. Sam had not ridden a bike in her life before signing up for the challenge, yet ducked and weaved through Siem Reap peak hour like the best of them.

After that, it was back on the bike and out to another temple, about 25 kilometres out of town.

Our guides explained that it was an exclusive part of the city, with big houses dotting the landscape – something like our Beach Road.

As we rode, voices blared out over loud speakers in the local dialect. When suggested they could be propaganda messages from the Cambodian Peoples Party, Graeme Moore’s face lit up. The Cardinia councillor thought it could be a good idea for his Bunyip Ward constituents. If he did it, one wag suggested the loud speaker would not be required.

The Bakong Temple is one of the oldest in Cambodia, dating back to the 9^th Century.

Most rated this the best temple visit. The pristine lake setting, the temple pretty much intact and a certain reverence to the place. Monks everywhere, sitting legs crossed at the top of the temple praying.

One was kind enough to take the camera as we huddled for another group shot, then happily handed it over to a security guard to sit amongst us for the money shot.

The temple gates always have kids flogging their wares. We were advised to pass up their offerings, but the enterprising lot here was a bit too hard to ignore.

After about half an hour in the temple, we arrived back at the gates to be greeted by souvenir plates with our photos on them. Most found them too hard to pass up, although Geoff Bainbridge proved why he is such an astute businessman by securing four for his Wolf Pack members for a steal. He then engaged in some happy haggling with a young girl, trying to sell her half a bottle of water.

The language can be a bit of a barrier. Alison McHenry was amused when one of the Khmer women asked her name. She said Alison. The woman replied, “Oh, elephant, that a lucky name”.

In terms of a workout, the cycling legs have been relatively small to this point, but traversing the temples has been like doing the 1000 Steps three or four times.

We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking rice paddies and then set off from the north of the country south to the capital of Phnom Pehn and a day exploring the more recent Cambodian culture. Tomorrow it’s The Killing Fields, the S21 Museum and the Royal Palace.

Quote of the day came from Graeme Moore. “I just wish it could be a little hotter!"

Garry Howe, Editor Star News Group with Carina Tomietto & Ann Selby Windermere